NEWPORT – The economic impact of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport exceeded $935 million during 2012, according to NUWC officials.

Of the facility’s total operating budget, more than $581 million was spent by NUWC Newport in payroll, construction, facility support and local contracts.

According to a release, NUWC represents the largest federal activity in Rhode Island in terms of personnel and payroll.

The Newport-based government facility’s employee base includes 2,748 government civilian employees and 31 military members with a total gross payroll over more than $296 million.

Of NUWC’s full-time government civilian staff, 74 percent are classified as scientists or engineers and roughly 36 percent have graduate degrees.

The release goes on to say that in addition to the government workforce, NUWC Newport contracted for roughly 1,950 work years during 2012 from companies located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, which brings the facility’s combined government and contractor workforce to nearly 4,700 position, according to NUWC.

NUWC Newport spent approximately $421 million for contracts during the year, with contracts obligated to Southern New England companies exceeding $248 million.

The contract spending broke down to $200 million awarded to Rhode Island-based companies, $38 million awarded to Massachusetts-based companies and $10 million issued to Connecticut-based businesses.

During 2012, construction contracts totaled over $17 million, with an additional $18 million spent on facility support contracts.

NUWC Newport, which is the oldest warfare center in the country, provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.

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